Zerilda Park PrimaryTeaching Children to be Resilient

WORDS Jana Uellendahl

It was barely nine o’clock in the morning when the parent burst into the office. ‘There’s nothing wrong with my child, it’s your school that’s the problem!’ The parent is shaking with anger as he approaches the principal’s desk. After 40 years of teaching, the principal is used to people blaming her, yet she still has vast amounts of empathy.

When situations like these happen, it’s essential to calm the parent down. Lorna Engledoe, the principal of Zerilda Park Primary, can do that because she knows exactly what the parents are going through. She can identify with them. She knows how it feels to have no money – to feel desperate. She has a story of her own to tell.

Engledoe’s story

‘I come from a family of eight children,’ says Engledoe. ‘My dad was a cutter in a factory so he didn’t earn a lot of money, but he knew how to make it stretch. My mummy never worked because she had a baby every year. My siblings are all one or two years apart and five of us were at school together.’

Lorna Engeldoe has been Zerilda Park’s principal for 14 years now. Despite some of the challenges of her role, she loves every minute of her job. Photo: Jana Uellendahl

‘Like the parents at my school, we lived in a small council house in a poor area. We all shared a room,’ Engledoe recalls. ‘But when we grew up, something became of each of us: a nurse or a teacher, a legal secretary or a steel factory owner, we each made something of our lives. So I always tell the parents at my school “It can happen!”’

Alongside the other 42 teachers at the Seawinds school, Engeldoe is in charge of 1,300 pupils – and she loves every minute of her job. ‘We want the learners to become decent citizens. We want them just to be decent, to be normal and to have a good life. And we want them to become responsible adults,’ she explains. For her, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing her children get an education and go on to do something with their lives. ‘I love it when pupils come and visit the school after they have left, as a lawyer or university graduate. For me that is very, very special. Or when I meet past students in a shopping mall who are married with a family – that makes me very happy.’

The ethos of Zerilda Park Primary

Situated in a low-income area, Zerilda Park has the philosophy of providing quality education. The principal and staff understand that most of the families have financial and social challenges, so they strive to provide a safe learning environment at school. Engledoe emphasises that despite the fact some children have disadvantages (like limited resources and lack of reading culture at home) and sometimes easy access to drugs and alcohol, every child needs boundaries. Zerilda Park wants to reinforce these boundaries so the students are able to learn and grow into trustworthy adults.

At Zerilda Park, around 40 learners are in a class with one teacher. The teachers rely on the parents to support education at home as well. Photo: Jana Uellendahl

To encourage the parents to play a bigger role in their children’s education, Zerilda Park offers different workshops that are run by the teachers. Parents also get a resource pack when their child starts school. ‘The parents have to teach their children how to write their names, the colours and the numbers. So when they come to grade one, they are ready to start.’ Engledoe understands that some of the parents don’t know how to play a big role in their children’s education, because they didn’t go to school themselves or they left school too early. Nevertheless, a healthy relationship between parents and children is the most important thing for the child’s future school career.

The right support for a child’s future

Engledoe believes that every child needs love and support at both home and school, and yet often the home life can have negative effects on their learning careers. ‘I am not saying that parents don’t love their children, they do, but some of them do it in a wrong way. You don’t love your child by just giving them R10. You love your child when you kick a ball with them, you love your child when you push them on a swing. You love your child when you sit and talk to them – that’s loving your child.’

To prevent poor home environments from influencing the children’s learning behaviour too much, Zerilda Park Primary has a code of conduct to guide teachers on how to deal with disadvantaged learners. The school also gets professionals to ensure staff development. ‘I had an American psychologist who talked about trauma with the staff. Now the teachers can understand when a child is traumatised. The brain is blocked but you can deal with that. Most of our children are traumatised. We might think some things mean nothing to them. But when they hear footsteps, they think it is somebody with a gun. When they hear a gunshot they think they must crawl under the bed.’

Engledoe went on, ‘I went to a house once and although I am short I had to bend to get in by the door. The mum said the child sleeps under the table, because there isn’t a bed for the child. Or a daddy comes to me and says they had no food last night, they just had a glass of water and they prayed on that glass of water because they have faith.’

Group work always improves the pupil’s ability to learn about team spirit, trust, competition and failure. Photo: Jana Uellendahl

The teachers and the principal work harder than ever to make sure the children have a happy school environment and the opportunity to make something of their lives. Zerilda Park is a government school, so there are no fees to pay. Engledoe remembers, ‘When we lived in the area there was a fee to go to school. Now there are no obstacles for the children, they attend school for free and they must just grab the opportunities.’

The Education Department provides food for about 390 learners (although there are 1,300 pupils in school). But at the end of the day, there is food for everybody. Engeldoe explains proudly, ‘We have a Muslim gentleman who supports the whole school with pots of food – everyday. He brings it for free. The children get milk, they get fruit and they get vegetables – everything. They can bring containers and take it home and there they can share it with whoever.’ Besides that gentleman, there is another organisation that supports Zerilda Park with R2,000 a month. That money is used to purchase missing clothes. ‘When I want to buy a child a pair of shoes, because the child has no shoes, I can do that easily.’

‘Teachers and parents must solve problems together and we encourage the teachers to always respect the parents, no matter where they come from or who they are – we always respect them.’

Working hard to overcome struggle

The majority of people around Seawinds live on the bread line. Some of the parents ask Engeldoe for money and in those situations it’s difficult for the principal to say ‘No’. She has empathy for her parents but she admits ‘I don’t like to encourage by giving people money. I want to teach them that you can’t just wait for money or for things you get for free, you need to work for something.’ And that’s what Engeldoe did. ‘When I wanted to go to college my daddy said, “No, I can’t afford it, you have to work.” I worked at a hairdresser on a Saturday where I earned R1.50 a morning. So I can do hair also.’ She smiled and laughed. ‘I earned R1.50 for one morning! Then I hiked home, because I didn’t want to use my R1.50 for the bus fee. And then that R1.50 was my bus fee to go to college. That’s how I could go and study.’ This story shows how determined the principal is and she likes to teach others to work hard too.

Engledoe’s role is challenging because it’s difficult to get the parents involved and for them to understand what’s needed. In the beginning, the principal explains how upset she would get. But she’s learnt to deal with these disappointments. ‘Sometimes the parents don’t believe me, and in the end the whole focus is on me and they blame me, but I am used to it now and I can identify with the people.’ For the school, it is essential to involve the parents when the children misbehave, ‘Teachers and parents must solve problems together and we encourage the teachers to always respect the parents, no matter where they come from or who they are – we always respect them.’

Zerilda Park Primary wants to encourage reading at a young age. So they continue to build up their learning materials. Photo: Jana Uellendahl

A brighter future

At the end of the day Zerilda Park shows it’s remarkable spirit, from the dedication of the teaching staff to the plans to upgrade and beautify the grounds. The school wants to place more focus on reading and sports, as well as building up its learning resources. Engledoe explains how important pride in the school is. ‘We want every child to have their own reader. Children need the ability to read. And we want every child to have a table and a chair. My desks are too old at the moment. And we want to make sure that every learner has a uniform, as well. Then they can be proud of the school.’

If you turn your face toward the sun every day, the shadows will fall behind you. The principal feels blessed with countless remarkable events during her teaching career. ‘There have been many wonderful experiences. Many, many, many. My school became a non-fee paying school. That is wonderful for me. And my school also had an upgrade, so you can see it looks quite nice here – the floor, the paintings on the walls etc. I really enjoy these improvements.’

There is a Tibetan proverb which says, ‘A child without education is like a bird without wings.’ And it is true to build those wings there must be love, support, trust and an effective use of every single school minute. And if a child or parent needs help, then Engledoe can relate to their struggle, ‘I tell them my story and they hug me in the end. I can give them hope. It’s not all lost.’

My experience as a teaching volunteer

I worked in the school for eight weeks, which changed my life. I never felt so loved after just a few days. I met so many cute and polite children, who were sure about where they want to be in life. They acted even more responsible than some 25-year-old adults in my hometown in Germany. I never expected so much appreciation for so little things. I am proud of them every day. When I returned to visit the school in my free time, I saw radiant smiles – these smiles told me everything, they trust me so much. It’s such a good feeling to know that they have so many great years in front of them. I found new little friends, who enrich my life, even when they are not my age.

After finishing her studies, Jana came to South Africa to immerse herself in the beauty and culture of Cape Town. During her first weeks, she worked in a Primary School in Seawinds and then joined the journalism project. Cape Town has a special place in her heart.